Around 50 helicopter tactics specialists from 11 European Defence Agency participating Member States attended the 10th Helicopter Tactics Symposium, organised under the EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme.

The EDA say that this annual event “proved once more to be a unique occasion for European helicopter crews to discuss and share expertise and best practices related to helicopter tactics and to learn about training opportunities under the Helicopter Exercise Programme.”

A central part of the symposium was devoted to drawing the tactical lessons from recent EDA helicopter exercises, such as ‘Dark Blade 19’ held at Namest 22nd Helicopter Air Base, Czech Republic, in May 2019. Other sessions addressed the lessons learned from operation MINUSMA in Mali as well as the experiences made by helicopter pilots in Iraq and Libya. Furthermore, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) shared his experience and feedback on working with helicopters in operations as well as EDA exercises.

According to the EDA, symposium attendees also received detailed information on helicopter tactics such as aerial gunnery, personnel recovery, air assault/airmobile operations and its planning cycle, NVG training and Attack Helicopter Tactics.

A representative from Sweden also briefed on the country’s new Helicopter Tactics Training Concept which will include courses given under the umbrella of EDA such as HTC and HTIC.